Tedisco To Force A Vote On Legislation That Would Save Bellevue Hospital

Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco will force a vote on a bill that would keep Bellevue Hospital open and not implement recommendations of the Berger Commission which called for the closing of nine hospitals across the state including Bellevue women's hospital in Niskayuna, and a reconfiguration of 43 other hospitals.

The legislation, A.1740, has been held in the Assembly Health Committee, blocked from coming to the floor for a vote.

"The bill has passed the Senate but it has run into a roadblock in the Assembly. I am doing all I can to pass this bill and to save Bellevue hospital. I recognize the need to control out-of-control health care costs but the recommendation to close Bellevue was a wrong one for many reasons. It's critical that we reverse that decision and I call on my Democrat colleagues, especially in the Capital District, to join me in this important effort," said Tedisco.

Tedisco said that Bellevue's unique stature of being one of only two hospitals in the nation dedicated exclusively to women's health, and being a destination hospital providing specialized and high-quality care to women all across the state and beyond, should have been taken into consideration. Perhaps more importantly, the Berger Commission based their recommendation on incorrect information relating to the hospital's deficit and the nature of surgical procedures. The Commission report states that Bellevue's deficit at the end of 2005 was $17.69 million when in fact the actual deficit was a manageable $1.32 million. In addition, the report incorrectly implies that Bellevue does not perform complex surgical procedures. In fact, Bellevue performs 3,000 surgeries a year.